5 Early Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease typically occurs in people over the age of 65, and it can cause memory and reasoning skills to slowly decline. However, early detection of Alzheimer’s can ensure proper treatment begins quickly and help slow the disease’s progression. To better assist your family in understanding the disease, the staff at Home Care Assistance Perth has put together a list of symptoms often found in the early development of Alzheimer’s. If you notice any of these warning signs in your loved one, he or she should see a doctor promptly.

1. Trouble Performing Familiar Tasks

Most people can take care of basic daily tasks without even thinking much about them. However, such tasks can become difficult for your loved one if he or she is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Playing games or driving to a location he or she visits regularly may suddenly become more of a challenge, or the quality of housekeeping or cooking may decrease.

2. Mood Swings and Personality Changes

Seniors with Alzheimer’s can become easily upset or angered by seemingly small circumstances. Your loved one may pace around or become fixated on minor details because he or she is overwhelmed from trying to make sense of once simple things that no longer make sense. Increasing levels of suspicion, fear, anxiety, or depression may result in agitation.

3. Repeated Memory Loss

As people age, they often forget names or appointments, but usually they will remember them later. Memory loss is the symptom most commonly associated with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. If your loved one is developing Alzheimer’s, he or she may ask for the same information repeatedly and regularly forget important things.

4. Confusion About Time or Location

In addition to forgetting dates, seniors with Alzheimer’s may not realise what year or season they are in. If an event is not immediate, your loved one may have trouble understanding it. Sometimes your loved one may get confused about where he or she is or how he or she got to a particular location.

5. Trouble Speaking and Writing

Seniors who have Alzheimer’s might begin to have trouble carrying on conversations, even with people they know well. The act of writing down their thoughts may have become more difficult. Your loved one may forget the right word, accidentally call something by the wrong name, or stop in the middle of a conversation.

If your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he or she may need help performing various tasks around the house and building new routines. Reach out to Home Care Assistance for part-time and 24-hour dementia and Alzheimer’s care in Perth. All of our caregivers are trained in the revolutionary Cognitive Therapeutics Method, a comprehensive program designed to prevent the onset of cognitive decline and slow the progression of existing memory related conditions. For more information on our aged care services, call one of our knowledgeable Care Managers at [hca_phone] to schedule a no-obligation consultation.